Usino - Marriage and Family

Marriage.
Polygyny in Usino is accepted but not preferred, and it is practiced by
only about 18 percent of the families. Successful polygynous unions are
initiated by the cowives themselves. Preferential intraparish marriage
and sister Exchange characterize Usino, and if suitable mates are not
available within the opposite carpel, spouses are selected from other
Usino parishes. Consequently, a multiplicity of affinal and cognatic
ties connect Usino parishes. Intergroup alliances are maintained through
trade partnerships rather than marriage. Divorces do not threaten the
system of alliance and exchange, and they are accomplished with relative
ease. Low population density and minimal cash income limit access to
wealth and goods, prohibiting large bride-price prestations, and there
are no marriage-payment negotiations. Partners are officially betrothed
by their parents, sometimes as children, but in practice young people
often choose their own mates. Women generally choose their second
husbands. Postmarital residence is usually virilocal, but most parish
members live their entire lives within Usino territory, if not in the
same village.

Domestic Unit.
The basic domestic and economic unit is the household, composed of
either a nuclear or extended family.

Inheritance.
Inheritance is patrilineal, once bride-price and child-price are paid
by the husband to his affines.

Socialization.
Education is primarily informal, through observation and imitation;
relatively few children attend the primary school 6.4 kilometers away,
and only a few Usino men have attended high school. Scolding and
physical punishment are frequently used to impress upon children their
responsibilities.

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